TSAMTO, January 12. The command of the Colombian Air Force has received the fourth turboprop training aircraft T-6C "Texan-2" manufactured by Beechcraft (Textron Aviation division).
According to the information Infodefensa.com, the new aircraft (B.N.FAC 2353) was delivered to the Colombian Air Force ahead of the previously agreed schedule and became part of the 116th Combat Squadron of the 1st Combat Aviation Command (CACOM No1).
As reported by TSAMTO, in September 2021, the commander of the Colombian Air Force, General Ramses Rueda Rueda, announced that up to 24 new T-6C Texan-2 turboprop aircraft would be purchased to replace the outdated T-37B TCB.
A contract worth about $28.74 million for the supply of the first three T-6Cs to provide basic training for pilots of the Colombian Air Force was signed in October 2020. The first two TCCs (FAC 2350 and FAC 2351) were transferred to the Colombian Air Force in May 2021 and officially adopted by the 116th Combat Squadron of the Combat Aviation Command in July 2021.
The contract for the delivery of the fourth aircraft was signed on September 29, 2021. Its cost was $ 9.58 million, the fifth – in October 2021. The ordered aircraft should be delivered between April and August 2022. It is assumed that during 2022, options for the purchase of the sixth and seventh aircraft will be implemented.
The Colombian Air Force also needs to supply light combat aircraft to replace the A-37 Dregonfly. In this regard, a number of representatives of the Colombian Air Force previously spoke in favor of purchasing the UBS EMB-314 "Super Tucano" of the Brazilian Embraer, which can be used not only for pilot training, but also as a light attack aircraft.
